A win-win-win-win solution

Collington always has items that it no longer needs. It happened in the clear-out needed to start the Bistro. It happens when units become empty and are refurbished for new residents. It happened when Administration moved up a floor. It has happened recently as try-out cottages are changed into sales units.

Items may include outdated, but still functional stoves, dishwashers, and fridges. It may be shelving, old picture frames, tables, filing cabinets, desks that the OO Shop doesn’t think it can sell quickly. It may be kitchen cabinets that have life left in them.

A few items are kept in storage as emergency replacements for residents. The rest of the still serviceable items are carefully priced to reflect their age and life expectancy. Then, once a sufficient number have accumulated, there’s a special garage-type sale, open only to Collington staff.

So far this year there have been three such sales, which have yielded some $4800.

That’s the first “win”.

The second “win” comes from what the money is used for: it all goes towards the costs of the annual staff holiday party, an end-of-year, off-site bash with raffles and door prizes and food and fun. So the staff members get to buy useful things cheaply and know that their money is going to give them future pleasure too.

Then there’s a third “win”: whatever doesn’t sell is given away to Habitat for Humanity.

The fourth “win” is a win for sustainability: serviceable items end up being put to good use instead of prematurely ending up in a landfill.